Barry Westling

Harold, Great goal to have. Skills and knowledge are worth little if the student is not able to transfer what was learned in school to the workplace, eh? Barry Westling

Shannon, In career education, the focus is often on the the skills, knowledge, and overall readiness to safely and satisfactorily seek and find employment. Along with what you mention, students should be adequately prepared if we achieve these goals. Barry Westling

Harold, I think students appreciate the time, effort, and planning that an instructor will do to prepare to provide a solid learning sessions for their students. We can be effective role models, demonstrating responsibility, professionalism, and preparedness. Barry Westling

Shannon, To the student, when they see their instructor ready for class with all copies, handouts, resources, and a solid outline of the days planned events, that conveys good organization, instructor confidence, and likey quality class sessions are ahead. Barry Westling

Brittany, Very true. I also think students get incomplete or vague ideas about what their career setting involves, and a good field trip can help sort out misconceptions while providing concrete, realistic portrayals of select segments of their profession. Barry Westling

Rtee, Students often feel that extra credit is awarded arbitrarily, and grading is subjective, so in a way, they may feel it's unfair. I would just say if extra credit is an acceptable practice, it should outlined beforehand, and the criteria for awarding assigned. That way, all students have the same opportunity to utilize it if they wish, and everyone knows exactly how it will be graded, and what contribution to their grade extra credit will supply. Barry Westling

Rtee, You've tapped into one of the tenets and benefits of using pretests, that of learning the staus of students prior learning. With that special knowledge, good instructors will modify their course as needed (sometime there is not too much needing tweaking). The end result is better use of time and improved student outcomes. Barry Westling

Amandeep, Good point. It's great when an instructor is able to take the course objectives, and break it down into digestible parts, using variety and different activities to make it interesting. Students are much more likely to retain information delivered this way. Barry Westling

Jantez, Each has to decide what is the best approach, given the unique circumstances, student situations, and being sure to be aligned with school policy. Barry Westling

Jantez, Students enroll in classes because they have an idea, perhaps a vision, for something better for them in their lives. A field trip that is related to their career setting can add substance to the imagined work setting. And good quest speakers are usually willing to answer questions that help frame a more accurate image of what the student can expect. This is usually an invaluable experience for students. Barry Westling